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Lead Letter: Find new funding for college facilities

I can’t remember the last time I passed by a school playground that wasn’t dotted with portables. Or visited a school cafeteria where lunch didn’t start at 10 a.m. or earlier.

Florida’s schools are overcrowded, our labs are obsolete and our growing population will only worsen the problem.

A recent survey of the nation’s public K-12 schools revealed that more than half are in need of repair and upgrades. The survey estimated it would cost us on average $4.5 million per school to bring our classrooms up to par.

Student enrollment at Florida’s colleges and universities has also grown exponentially in recent years. While it’s promising to see more Florida students are pursuing their college degrees, the increase in enrollment has put a strain on college resources.

Rather than investing in the latest science technology, they are forced to spend what little they have on leaking roofs and broken air conditioners.

Yet the source of funding to cover these costs is drying up. Traditionally, we’ve used a portion of revenue from the tax Floridians pay on landline phones to help Florida’s colleges.

At its peak six years ago, nearly $500 million was available for this purpose. But with the decline in the use of landline phones, funding diminished to just $73 million last year.

We must dedicate a long-term, sustainable source of funding to support Florida’s schools.

I’ve partnered with Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and Rep. Mike Hill, R-Pensacola, to do just that. We’ve proposed a legislative measure (SB 1076 and HB 899) that would direct a portion of the revenue from the existing tax on business’ electricity bill — nearly $225 million per year — to support our schools and students.

This investment in education, along with our proposed $225 million tax cut on Florida businesses and a tax-free weekend for consumers to save on purchases of energy and water efficient appliances, represents a balance of short- and long-term investments that are good for our natural resources, economic development and our kids.

Adam Putnam, commissioner of Agriculture,

Tallahassee

Lead Letter: Find new funding for college facilities

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